SEATTLE — The father of a man shot and killed inside Seattle's Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone in June has filed three claims against local government amounting to $3 billion.
Horace Anderson, the father of 19-year-old Horace Lorenzo Anderson, filed claims Thursday against the city of Seattle, King County, and Washington state over the death of his son inside the CHOP zone.
The claim alleged that the actions and "inactions" by the local government are responsible for creating a "hazardous, and lawless situation" that resulted in the man's death, according to a statement released by the Oshan & Associates, P.C., the law firm representing Anderson.
"It is important to hold our government leaders accountable so this will not happen again," said Attorney Evan Oshan in a prepared statement. "Those in positions of power must not be allowed to hide from their duty to act responsibly and protect citizens. With power and prestige comes responsibility!"
Anderson was one of two people shot inside the former protest zone during the early morning hours of June 20. Bystanders took Anderson to Harborview Medical Center where he died.
According to Seattle city officials at the time, Seattle Fire Department medics responded and were awaiting Seattle police to secure the scene before going into the CHOP, which is standard procedure for the fire department. Seattle police arrived at about 2:28 a.m. but they reported that the crowd prevented them from getting inside the CHOP zone.
In an interview with KING 5 on Thursday, Evan Oshan said that the lawsuit is about holding the agencies accountable for the younger Anderson's death.
“The thing that we really need to focus on is that there was a, an individual who lost his life unnecessarily and he, it was predictable, it was preventable, and this should have never happened,” Oshan said.
Oshan said that he and his client hopes that the discovery process will also uncover who was to blame.
"I do know is that there was a police precinct that was given up. What I do know is that EMS did not come in and take care of Lorenzo as he lay bleeding. This was a totally lawless situation. It puts him in great danger and it was just wrong,” Oshan said.
A city of Seattle official confirmed to KING 5 that the city has received the claim but said the city is not able to comment on pending claims or litigation. KING 5 has reached out to the state Attorney General's Office and King County but has not yet heard back.
Horace Lorenzo Anderson's mother filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit in July against the city, King County, and the state.
That claim alleged Seattle officials created a dangerous environment and city personnel "failed to protect or medically assist Anderson."
Earlier this month, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed first-degree murder charges against the man accused of killing Anderson inside the CHOP.
The suspect, Marcel Levon Long, is still at-large. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.
According to charging documents, Long was seen on surveillance video approaching Anderson and pulling out a gun. Long is then seen then chasing Anderson, who ran away, and Long appears to shoot him.
